Former MP Lembit Opik has been involved in plenty of odd stunts over the years but he had arguably his most bizarre encounter yet when he grappled with a burly wrestler while seemingly watching a bout.

Proposals by South Yorkshire Police to make police community support officers, rather than traditional beat bobbies, the first line of contact for members of the public have been criticised by former Home Secretary David Blunkett.

Full of elation after scoring the winner at Chievo last night, AC Milan's Sulley Muntari decided to present his shirt to a ball boy as he left the pitch - but the youngster tried his best not to accept it.

Children may love Barney the dinosaur but it seems they don't feel the same way about all purple furry animals - as proven when a classroom was reduced to tears by the sight of a man in a mauve panda suit.